Kings College Aberdeen – 3D Laser scan to Revit Model

Scan to BIM for Historic Buildings

Project Background

King’s College University located in Old Aberdeen is an Academic Campus comprised of several adjoining heritage buildings located around 2 central courtyard areas.

The campus covers a floor area of 10, 300m2 across 8 individual buildings and 2 external courtyards which are all linked through a series of corridors and walkways.

Level of Detail

In accordance with PAS 1192 part 2 the project was designated an LOD 3/4.

This LOD required an accurate BIM model with a geometric tolerance of 15-20mm and included such elements as castellated walls, buttresses, structural elements detailed ornate windows, doors and rain water pipes.

Plan of Action

Upon receiving the point cloud data, the project was subdivided between 2 teams of BIM modellers to ensure a time efficient workflow without compromise on the quality of the final deliverables.

Each team was pre-designated their own areas to model whilst adhering to a central set of standards and project LOD.

These areas were broken down further into manageable zones each with a prescribed time frame in which they had to be modelled.

As each zone was completed, the BIM model underwent a rigorous QA procedure to ensure both the level of detail requirements were met and BIM standards and protocols were maintained.

Challenges Faced

The large scale and intricate nature of a heritage building such as King’s College provided the team with an array of modelling issues and challenges.

The Cromwell Tower was one such instance which required meticulous attention to detail and complex modelling techniques to achieve the highest quality finished model.

The structure itself sits within the adjoining university buildings and is comprised of a central tower core, interjected with ornate windows and crowned with a large stone arch structure.

The bespoke nature of the elements housed within this area meant pre-existing Revit families were unsuitable in both graphics and geometry.

To overcome this, each element is bespoke to King’s College and accurate in geometry in accordance with the prescribed LOD and client requirements.